americans. ( applause ) >> brown: in 1965, lewis helped lead 600 people across the edmund pettus bridge in selma, alabama, where police beat them with nightsticks and state troopers fired tear gas. the event became known as "bloody sunday" and proved a tipping point. president lyndon johnson and congress responded with the voting rights act. lawmakers have renewed the law ever since, most recently in 2006, with overwhelming support. but shelby county, alabama says the law has outlived its time. frank ellis is the county attorney. >> we ask for some recognition that we and these other covered jurisdictions have made great strides over the last 48 years. i was 24 years old. i've been the county attorney since 1964. i was 24 years old when we came under section 5. i'm 73 last weekend and we're still under the same formula, none of which has applied to us in many, many, many years. >> brown: president obama has recently voiced support for upholding the voting rights act. he's said that if part of the law is struck down, it will be harder to prevent acts of voting discrimination. the case provoked so